Soup is among the most ancient foods on the planet. Soups have are used to cure or nourish people suffering from various ailments across the world. Egypt is no exception, and the various soups listed here have been prepared with loving care by Egyptian mothers and wives for thousands of years.

* For seven days before a man got married he was fed a soup that according to legend was an Aphrodisiac.

- If you can make chicken soup then you can make pigeon soup, it is prepared the same way. You would need two pigeons, 3 onions, some cardamom seeds, salt and pepper, a few mastic seeds and cup of hulled wheat, this will serve two people. Put the bird and whole onions together, in boiling water. It is best to tie the seeds into a muslin bag. Reduce the heat and let cook till the birds are tender. Take out the pigeons as well as the muslin sack, combine the hulled grain with the soup, and continue to boil for an additional ten minutes. The bone and skin should be removed from the pigeon before adding.

- If one is making a soup made from the shanks of lamb, beef or camel, the parts need to be boiled long enough in water so that they are soft and the meat easily falls off the bone. The shanks can be removed from the pot, pull off the meat and put it in a bowl to keep it from getting cold. Place 1/2 cup of the shank broth off to the side and allow it to cool off. Boil the rest of the broth. Melt some butter or ghee in a separate pot, add flour and stir until well blended and golden in color. Lightly beat the two egg yolks with a fork. Now add the egg to the flour, butter and, stirring constantly, add the cup of cool shank broth. When making this stew return the flame to low and slowly add the remaining hot broth stirring the whole time. it is beneficial to add the broth after the meat boils. Don’t let it come to a boil. Add lemon juice to taste and season with salt and pepper. Lamb and Beef can be costly. Camel shanks are used by those on a budget, and they take more cooking time.

* A simple recipe that will aid an upset tummy or runny stools is to boil water, salt and onions together to make a simple onion and water broth. Naturally, the salt helps prevent getting dehydrated and onion is reputed to possess disinfectant capabilities. If the soup is to be fed to an infant, take out the cooked onion and the infant may drink the broth from a baby bottle.

- Boiled Rice and Lemon Broth; this broth is frequently given as a remedy for diarrhea as well. Boil cup of rice in 1 cups of water, add salt. Once you remove it from the heat source, combine juice from two to three lemons. The lemon is a disinfectant and can kill some of the bacteria at the root of the problem, the salt keeps you hydrated if you are suffering from diarrhea and the rice is an easy to digest complex noncarbohydrate food.

* For regaining strength after a bout of serious illness:

- Egyptian Bean, Vegetable and Lemon Soup; this is a simple and nutritious soup that is often served to people who are just beginning to eat solid food after recovering from illness. Saute onion chopped, in a tiny bit of olive oil. Add a teaspoon of crushed cumin seeds, a bay leaf or two, a large chopped carrot and cook on medium heat until the onion is golden. Add chopped fresh tomatoes, a cup of pre-soaked dried and skinned broad fava beans and 1 liters of boiled water, reduce heat and simmer until both the carrots and the beans are cooked. Salt and pepper should be added according to your preferences. Remove from heat and add the juice from two to three lemons. If the person is too weak to chew, the soup may be pureed.

It is known that the lemons from Egypt are a lot smaller than from other countries.